Vehicle drive



June 17, 1941. j. P SCHMlTZ $2,246,191

VEHICLE DRIVE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. 25, 1939 1 x7 15 zo L 12 7 1'1 1.6 g5 19 12 A I 10 10 4J 'y y TTG 2 gime/Mm' June 17, 1941. J, P, SCHMITZ VEHICLE DRIVE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 25, 1939 Patented June 17, 1941 UNITED STA-TES lDlYlfE'Nr' FFflf'CfE- I. 2,246,191 L Y v Y VEHICLEDRIVE: :'Jseph P. schmitz, Tiffin, ohio Application r.November z5, 1939, seal 16,306,149 'frolaim (ol-.V 192564,)

My invention relates to :a driving mechanism for a foot-powered vehicle, such as Ya velocipede.

.The invention, particularly, relates 'to a velocipede driving vmechanism for' transmitting a driving force from `a pedal-operated driving element to a driven wheel to enable the vehicle tobe driven in forward or backward directions; to coast, in either direction, independently of the driving/element; and to be speed-controlled, in

either` direction, according to the .-operators ma- .g

nipulation ro'f the pedal-operated driving element. My invention has for its object to provide a foot-powered vehicle drive having a :means for operatively connecting vthe Vdriving element'to the ."drvenv element, the means-being operated Vto connect the elements -by .rotation Vof the driving element in either direction. fA further objectwof the invention is to provide "saidmeanswith one part for engaging Ythe 'drivenelementwhen the `driving `element is rotated' in one direction and f ,anotherpart for'engaging,v the driven element when the driving element is rotated inthe other direction. Thus, the rotation-ofsaid driven element, in one or another direction, iselfected by the engagement of one Yor another Aorsaid vparts with said driving element vand the rotation ofthe driving element in said-direction.

The invention has fora' further object .to providel means for shuttlingsaid means to and from engagement with said driven element and for.`

maintaining said means in-arposition vso that neither of its said parts are in engagement with the drivenvelement, permitting thev driven element to rotate freely l'of the driving element. Thus, the vehicle, on which the drive mechanism of my invention is applied, may coast and, by-

operation of the driving element in a direction opposite to that of coasting, the speed of such coasting may be controlled and, if desired, be effectively stopped.

A still further and particular object of the invention is to provide a drive mechanism partaking of the advantageous objects referred to above and having a simple, durable, and inexpensive construction in keeping with the use and cost of vehicles of the character to which the drive mechanism is particularly adaptable.

The invention consists in other features and advantages which will appear from the following description and upon examination of the drawings. Structures containing the invention may partake of different forms and still embody the invention. To illustrate a practical application of the invention, I have selected a vehicle drive as an example of the various structures and details thereof that contain the invention and shall describe. the selected' structures hereinafter, .it beingy understood that variations .may be ,made vwithout departing from the spirit of the invention. The particular structure selected isshown .in the accompanying .drawings and described hereinafter. f

Fig. 1 Vof the accompanying drawings illustratesan embodiment of my invention in a vehicle drive, as adapted to a childs velocipede. Fig. 2 illustrates an enlarged view of a section taken on the plane of the line 2-2, indicatedin Figwl. Fig. 3 illustrates :a ypartial sectional view of certain parts ofthe vehicle drive, in oneposition where certain vfunctions .arei performed. Fig. 4- is 'a' view, similar to that illustrated in `liiguS, except Vthat the parts are shown after movement to another position than that of Fig,v 3, .to performv a different function than that; being Vperformed by the parts shown inFig. 3. Eig. 5

illustrates a view of a section taken on the plane of the line 5 5, indicated in Fig. 4.

, A velocipede, to which a drive mechanism, embodying the features of my invention, may. be applied, has .the usual footepowered pedals I vbearings are mounted,v in racesmformedby the conical shoulders of collars I2 and the ends of the hub A'Lto support the hub 'I for free rotation relative .to they axle 3. The; collars I2 maybe securedon the axle3by lock nutsld.y l v l ,v

In order to cause rotation ofthe wheel 8 when the axle 3 is rotated by the pedals I, a means is provided and supported on the axle 3 in a position to operatively interconnect the axle 3 to the hub 'I' of the said wheel. Said means may be embodied in a member I5 mounted on the axle 3. If desired, the member I5 may be formed, for convenience of assembly, by two collar parts I1 and I9 keyed together by suitable intertting portions I8 so as to move in unison along the axle 3. The member I5 has internally-formed female square threads, which engage and thread onto a male square threaded portion I6, located on the surface of the axle 3. Thus, as the axle is rotated, in a counter-clockwise direction, that is, when the top of the surface of the axle 3, as shown in Fig. 2, moves forward, with respect to the sheet on which the figure is presented, the member I5 will be urged leftwardly along the axle, as shown in Fig.. 2 of the accompanying face 28 of the hub 1.

tions -22 formed in the block 2| and the adjacentA bearing collar I2, which is provided on its outer surface with a squared shank 23. The squared shank is located in, and its edges are engaged by, a plate 24 that may be secured by a bolt connection to one of the legs of the forked frame Thus, as the axle is rotated, the member I=5 will be urged axially along the threaded portion I6 of the axle 3 in one or another direction, according to the direction of rotation of said axle. v

The member |5 is provided with spaced parts, having surfaces of predesigned form, which engage `parts on the driven element, having surfaces of predesigned form, when the member I5 is moved toward the rightward and leftward extremities of its motion in those directions by the rotation ofthe axle 3. In the particular construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the hub 1 has an annular, internal charnfered surface 28, and the member I5 is provided with a tapering portion 3|. Thus, wh-en the axle 3 is rotated in, a counterclockwise direction, the member I5 is moved axially along said axle 3 to cause frictional engagement of the surface of the portion y3| of the member I5 with the sur- Continued rotation of the axle 3 by the cranks 2, establishes a frictional seizure between the portion 3| and surface 28 to produce rotation of the wheel 8 and forward motion ofthe velocipede.

The hub 1 is, likewise, provided with an intern-al, annular shoulder portion 26 located in axially spaced relation to the chamfered surface 28, andthe member I5 has an annular flange 21 located in axially spaced relation to the tapering portion 3|. Thus, when the axle 3 is rotated in a clockwise direction, the member I5 is moved axially along said axle 3 to cause the annular' flange 21 to abut and frictionally engage the .shouldered portion 26 of the hub 1. Continued rotation by lthe crank arms 2 an-d axle 3 establishes a frictional seizure between the flange 21 and the shoulder 26 to produce rotation of the wheel 8 and rearward motion of the velocipede.

The spacing between the parts 21 and 3| of the member I5 is so related to the spacing between the shoulder 26 Yand chamfered surface 28 of the hub 1, that the member |5 may be moved on the axle 3 to positions where neither of the parts 21 nor 3| engage their respective and cooperating hub parts. When the member l5 is so located, either by the operators directive manipulation of the foot pedals or automatically, by reason of the wheel 8 rotating faster than the axle 3, as when rolling down an incline, the wheel 8 is disconnected from the axle and pedals and may coast independently thereof in either direction.

When it is desired to brake the motion of the wheel 8, the crank arms 2 may be rotated in a direction opposite to that in which the wheel is then rot-ating. The initial effect of such action will cause movement of the member l5 along the axle 3 to produce engagement of the portion 3| with the chamfer 28, if the vehicle is moving rearwardly, or engagement ofthe flange 21 with the shoulder 2E, if the vehicle is moving forwardly. The continued rotation of the crank arms 2 in oppositionto the rotation of the wheel 8, will result in slowing and eventual stopping of the vehicle.

Thus, it' is apparent that a drive mechanism, containing the features of my invention, will permit of coasting in either Vdirection without rotation of the axle or limitation of driving the vehicle to but one direction.

I claim:

In a drive' mechanism for a foot-powered vehicle, a wheel for driving the vehicle; a hub for rotatably supporting the wheel; the hub having formed thereon an internal annular shoulder portion and a chamfered portion in spaced relation to the annular shoulder portion; an axle supported on the vehicle for rotation in either direction and extending in concentric relation through the hub; a member supported for shuttling axial movement on said axle; the member having formed thereon a flange part and a tapering portion in spaced relation to the flange part; the axle having a threaded portion adapted to engage said member and to cause axial movement of same in either direction whereby the flange par-t will engage the shoulder part, when the axle is rotated in one direction, to drive the wheel in said direction, and the tapering portion will engage the chamfered part, when the axle is rotated in the other direction, to drive the wheel in said other direction.

JOSEPH P. SCHMITZ. 

